Table of Contents

Notes on Contributors ix

Acknowledgments xix

Introduction 1

Part I Major World Religions 13

Introduction 15

1 Buddhism: Historical Setting 17
Mavis Fenn

2 Buddhism: Contemporary Expressions 30
Steven Emmanuel

3 Christianity: Historical Setting 46
Stanley M. Burgess

4 Christianity: Contemporary Expressions 61
Curtiss Paul DeYoung

5 Confucianism: Historical Setting 77
Joseph Chan

6 Confucianism: Contemporary Expressions 93
Stephen C. Angle

7 Hinduism: Historical Setting 110
O.P. Dwivedi

8 Hinduism: Contemporary Expressions 124
Amita Singh

9 Islam: Historical Setting 137
Hussam S. Timani

10 Islam: Contemporary Expressions 153
Erin E. Stiles

11 Judaism: Historical Setting 170
Moshe Hellinger

12 Judaism: Contemporary Expressions 190
Eliezer Segal

Part II Religious Movements and Themes 205

Introduction 207

13 Baháí Faith 210
Christopher Buck

14 The Quest for Justice in Revival, a Creole Religion in Jamaica 224
William Wedenoja

15 The Muhammadiyah: A Muslim Modernist Organization in Contemporary Indonesia 241
Florian Pohl

16 The Role of the Chief in Asante Society 256
Yaw Adu-Gyamfi

17 Tibetan Monastics and Social Justice 268
Derek F. Maher

18 Sangha and Society 280
Hiroko Kawanami

19 G’meelut Chasadim (Deeds of Kindness) 292
W.E. Nunnally

20 Hospitality 306
Ana María Pineda

21 Zakat: Faith and Giving in Muslim Contexts 319
Azim Nanji

22 Ecumenical and Interreligious Dialogue 330
Barbara Brown Zikmund

Part III Indigenous People 345

Introduction 347

23 Africa: Religion and Social Justice among the Diola of Senegal, Gambia, and Guinea-Bissau 350
Robert M. Baum

24 Australia: Religion and Social Justice in a Continent of Hunter-Gatherers 361
Robert Tonkinson

25 Central America: A God for the Poor – Folk Catholicism and Social Justice among the Yucatec Maya 373
Christine A. Kray

26 Europe: The Roma People of Romania 388
Sorin Gog and Maria Roth

27 Middle East: The Kurds – Religion and Social Justice of a Stateless Nation 402
Charles G. MacDonald

28 New Zealand: The Māori People 412
Rawinia Higgins

29 North America: Ojibwe Culture 425
Gregory O. Gagnon

30 Southern Asia: The Gonds of India – A Search for Identity and Justice 438
Sushma Yadav

Part IV Social Justice Issues 451

Introduction 453

31 Colonialism 456
Brigid M. Sackey

32 Abundant Life or Abundant Poverty? The Challenge for African Christianity 469
T. John Padwick

33 AIDS, Religion, and the Politics of Social Justice in Sub-Saharan Africa 482
Afe Adogame

34 Religion, Civil Rights, and Social Justice 496
Paul Harvey

35 Human Rights: The South African Experience 507
Glenda Wildschut

36 The “Double-Conscious” Nature of American Evangelicalism’s Struggle over Civil Rights during the Progressive Era 519
L.B. Gallien, Jr.

37 Gender and Sexuality in the Context of Religion and Social Justice 535
Mary E. Hunt

38 Beginning of Life 547
Andrew Lustig

39 Death and Dying 561
Courtney S. Campbell

40 Religion’s Infl uence on Social Justice Practices Relating to Those with Disabilities 575
Ruth Vassar Burgess

41 Ecology and the Environment 591
Laurel Kearns

42 Christianity and Nonviolent Resistance 607
Celia Cook-Huffman

43 Building Peace in the Pursuit of Social Justice 620
Mohammed Abu-Nimer

Index 633

About the Author

Michael D. Palmer is the Dean of the School of Divinity atRegent University, Virginia Beach, Virginia. In addition tonumerous scholarly articles, he has published two books: Elements of a Christian Worldview (1998) and Names,Reference, and Correctness in Plato's Cratylus (1989). Palmerhas extensive experience at teaching university-level courses inmoral theory, social ethics, applied ethics, and philosophy ofreligion. He also has considerable experience conductingprofessional workshops and seminars for educators in subjectsrelating to religion and ethics. Stanley M. Burgess is Distinguished Professor ofChristian History, Regent University, Virginia Beach, and ProfessorEmeritus, Missouri State University, Springfield, Missouri. Inaddition to over 150 scholarly articles, he has published numerousbooks, including the International Dictionary of Pentecostal andCharismatic Movements (2002), the Encyclopedia ofPentecostal and Charismatic Christianity (2004) andChristian Peoples of the Spirit: a Documentary Collection(2011). In addition, he is co-editor and contributor toTestamoni della fede nelle chiese della riforma (2010), aRoman Catholic Who's Who of Protestant Heroes.

Reviews

The articles work together to form a comprehensive wholeand also to provide an encyclopedic handbook on the topic. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-level undergraduates andabove; general readers. (Choice, 1 December2012)